American Lightning

Howard Blum talked about his book, American Lightning: Terror, Mystery, the Birth of Hollywood, and the Crime of the Century (Thorndike Press; January 2, 2009), which recounts the bombing of the Los Angeles Times building on October 1, 1910. The city’s hired detective, William J. Burns, placed blame on labor activists who he claimed were intent on continuing a grudge against the L.A. Times anti-union owner. The ensuing court case would attract the nation’s attention as well as the involvement of defense attorney Clarence Darrow and filmmaker D.W. Griffith.

Howard Blum is the author of several books, including Gangland and The Eve of Destruction. Mr. Blum was formerly a reporter for the New York Times and is currently a contributing editor at Vanity Fair. He has been nominated twice for the Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting. close